Dozens of beachgoers and bystanders gathered around the shark, repeatedly throwing buckets of water on it in attempts to keep it alive.
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The shark sightings this week prompted the raising of warning flags at Nauset Beach in Orleans. The fish was then escorted into deeper water by officials.
Attempts to reach the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy were unsuccessful last night.
Skomal said that saving the animal would have been very hard, and that it was probably dead before it was returned to the water. “They’re basically drowning”. He told Globe reporters that other than injuries sustained from the stranding, including cuts on its underside and internal bleeding, the animal appeared to be healthy.
The shark did not survive despite all the effort of the makeshift rescue team.
A 7 and 1/2-foot great white was successfully rescued in July using similar tactics near South Beach in Chatham, and has since been seen offshore. Sunday’s incident was probably the result of the shark’s becoming confused in the shallows close to shore.
“We did go swimming right afterwards with our toddlers”, Schnaible said.
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The shark was injured, according to police, and it was not known at the time if it would survive.
